Manhole cover and anchoring means therefor



June 12, 1934. c. a. SHANLEY MANHOLE COVER AND ANCHORING MEANS THEREFOR Filed Nov. 4, 1932 Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MANHOLE COVER AND ANCHORING MEANS THEREFOR This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in man-hole covers and anchoring means therefor and has for its object the proviison of a man-hole cover and anchoring means so co-operably constructed that the cover may with ease and facility be firmly, tightly, and securely anchored or engaged detachably or removably with the man-hole frame.

And with the above and other objects in view,

my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described. and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 illustrates in plan a man-hole cover and anchoring means therefor of my invention; and

Figure 2 is a detail sectional View taken approximately on the line 2-2, Figure 1.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, A designates a man-hole frame of any standard construction, the same including, as is usual, an annular wall 1 provided therearound at its lower margin with an outwardly presented flange or extension 2 adapted to rest on the supporting masonry, not shown, and to receive thereabove the retaining or securing concrete or the like 3, substantially as shown. Adjacent its upper margin and upon its inner periphery, wall 1 is formed with an inwardly presented annular cover-supporting rib or flange 4, whose upper face is suitably disposed below the plane of the outer marginal face a of wall 1.

B designates the man-hole cover, which is of corresponding diametrical dimension and thickness to fit in closing position within the opening in frame A and upon the rib 4 with its upper face I) approximately flush with the frame-face a, as best seen in Figure 2; and the cover B, for co-operation therewith and with the frame A in detachably securing the cover B in frame-closing position, is equipped with a plurality of anchoring members C, preferably three in number, disposed annularly in spaced relation about the cover B, as best seen in Figure 1, each of which anchoring-members C' is preferably an individual casting and has preferably the form and contour shown, each memher C including a shank 5, an arm 6 extending laterally from shank 5 and having a suitable nose 6a for engagement with frame A, a second coverengaging arm '7 oppositely projecting laterally from shank A and having a suitably elongated 551 nose 7a having a suitable upper face, as at 71),

adapted, as it may be described, for engagement with the cover B, and additional cover-engaging and anchor supporting arms or lugs 8 projecting laterally in opposed relation from the shank 5 and at right angles to the arms 6, 7.

For accommodating and co-operation with each respective anchor C, the cover B is provided radially adjacent its margin with a slot 9, which has a Width commensurate with the cross thickness of the shank 5, as best seen in Figure 1, 69 which opens to the opposite top and bottom faces of the cover, and which lengthwise is suitably dimensioned not only to permit ready operative placement of the anchor C, but also to permit radial movement of the anchor C relatively to the cover B, for purposes shortly appearing. And counterwise formed in the upper face of the cover B upon opposite sides of, and running radially of the cover with, the respective slots 9, are aligning shelves or ways 10 for co-operation with the arms 8 in both supporting the anchor C and in securing the anchor in frame and cover engagement, for effecting which latter engagement, the cover B, on its under side and preferably in radial alignment with, and at the inner end of, each respective slot 9, is preferably integrally formed or provided with an enlargement, as at 11, having an outwardly and downwardly beveled or cam-face Hence, in use and operation, each respective anchor C is preferably first operatively disposed with relation to the cover with its arm 6 presented outwardly toward the rim of the cover, its arm '7 presented inwardly under the cam-face 11a, its shank 5 disposed for shiftable movement in its respective slot 9, and its arms 8 movably or shiftably seated on the shelves or ways 10.

Preferably, though not essentially, each anchor C is retained in operative relation to the cover B by means of a suitable cross-pin 13, which, while freely permitting any desired radial shiftable movement of the anchor, prevents accidental disengagement of the anchor from the cover, and the cover with its anchoring members may intact be readily transported from the plant to. manhole, ready for convenient placement and securement.

The cover B preferably equipped as described and being seated in the frame A, by means then of a bar or other suitable tool (not shown), engaged suitably with the anchor C, the anchor C at its arms 8 is shifted radially outwardly on the supporting ways 10 and its arm 6 shifted under, and into hence cover-securing engagement with, the frame-flange 4. In such movement also, the opposed arm 7 at its nose 7a is wedgewise, in opposition to the arms 8 on the shelves 10, engaged at its face 71) with the enlargement 11.

In like manner, the several respective anchors C are tightly wedged in place, and, in turn, tightly and firmly secure the cover B to the frame A in frame-closing position, the cover B as so held being efiiciently retained against rattling and misplacement. The parts are so relatively proportioned that, the anchors C being so engaged with the cover B, the respective fiat upper faces of the arms 8 are approximately flush, as shown, with the cover-face b, and it will, of course, be understood that, while not here shown, any unoccupied portion of the respective slots 9 andshelves 10 of the cover 13 may be filled with asphalt or other suitable removable substance or material to prevent the entrance of water and other foreign matter into the manhole. under face of the arms 8 and the upper face of the ways or shelves 10 are co-operatively roughened, as shown, for frictionally increasing the engagement therebetween in anchoring, as described, the cover E to the frame A.

Preferably also the cover B on its under face and at opposite sides of the respective slots 9 is formed with strengthening ribs 12, and as so constructed my new manhole cover and its anchoring means may be economically manufactured, are exceedingly efficient in the performance of their intended functions, and are readily adapted for replacement and for use with different types of man-holes, it being uderstood that the covers and their anchoring members may correspondingly be constructed in different dimensions to fit the re- Y quirements of any more or less standard frames,

and that other changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1. The combination with a man-hole cover having a slot and a beveled under face at the inner end of the slot, of an anchor including a shank and a plurality of arms projecting from the shank, the shank-being fitted in said slot for shiftable movement lengthwise of the slot and on shiftable movement of the shank one of said arms being engageable with the man-hole frame and others Preferably also the lateral arms on the shank in anchor-supporting engagement with the cover at opposite sides of the slot, an arm outwardly projecting from the shank for engagement, on shiftable movement of the shank, with the man-hole frame, and an arm rearwardly projecting from the shank for, on shiftable movement of the shank, Wedgewise in opposition to-the lateral arms engagement with the cover at its said beveled face for securing the anchor to the cover and the cover to the frame.

3. In combination, an apertured frame, a cover for closure of the opening of the frame, the cover having a radial slot, a beveled under face at the inner end of said slot, and longitudinal shelves in the opposite Walls of the slot, and an anchor including a shank fitted for shiftable movement in said slot, opposed lateral arms on the shank in anchor-supporting engagement with said shelves, an arm outwardly projecting from the shank for engagement, on shiftable movement of the shank, with the man-hole frame, and an arm rearwardly projecting from the shank for, on shiftable movement of the shank, wedgewise in opposition to the lateral arms engagement with the cover at its said beveled face for securing the anchor to the cover and the cover to the frame.

4. In combination, an apertured frame, a cover for said aperture, the cover having a slot opening to its opposite top and'bottom faces and Ways extending parallel with and upon opposite sides of the slot, and means for anchoring the cover a in aperture-closure position, said means including an anchor comprising a shank fitting in and shiftable in the lengthwise direction of the slot, opposite rigid lateral arms on the shank for en-= gagement with the upper face of, and shiftable with the shank relatively to, said Ways, and rigid opposed longitudinal arms on the shank for en gagement respectively with the frame and with the under face of the cover.

CONNOR B. SI-IANLEY. 

